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Mozilla releases Thunderbird 3.1 Beta 1

The Mozilla developers have announced the availability of the first beta release for what will become version 3.1 of their popular open source Thunderbird email and news client, code named "Lanikai". The latest preview release is based on the Gecko 1.9.2 platform and includes a number of improvements and bug fixes.

According to the developers, the first beta is aimed at discovering "possible problems caused by the changes in the underlying platform". Notable changes include several fixes to improve upgrading from version 2.x of Thunderbird, interface design changes and stability and memory improvements. Issues affecting auto-complete, tabs and the activity manager have also been addressed. As with all development releases, use in production environments and on mission critical systems is not advised. Users testing the release are encouraged to provide feedback and report any bugs that they encounter.

A second beta release is expected to be available in early April, followed by a release candidate at the beginning of May. Assuming a second release candidate is not required, the final version 3.1 release of Thunderbird is scheduled for the 1st of June.